A.Word.A.Day

A.Word.A.Day--idiot savant

idiot savant (ID-ee-uht sa-VAHNT) noun

A person with autism or some other mental disability who is
exceptionally gifted in a highly specialized field, such as math
(rapid mental calculation) or music (ability to play a complex
piece of music after hearing it only once).

This term is now outdated. Autistic savant is the current term.

[From French, literally learned idiot.]

"I thought of him as a kind of idiot-savant - a man who had flashes
of insight and brilliance. And he also had a great spirit."
Dan Harper; Save the Eccentrics; Santa Cruz Sentinel (California);
Mar 21, 2004.

"The author, a self-proclaimed idiot savant, explains his motivation
for the book on its back cover."
Drawing From Life; National Post (Canada); Mar 2, 2004.

This week's theme: Words that appear contradictory.

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